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How to Talk to Your Children About Politics, Abortion and America’s Future

Cormack: Political discussions with kids may be difficult, but they're important. 3 strategies for making them more meaningful during election season.

Attendees at a watch party for the US Presidential debate between Harris and former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at El Jefe, a cat cafe, in Tucson, Arizona, on September 10, 2024. (Rebecca Noble/Getty Images)

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In 2022, the Supreme Court鈥檚 Dobbs v. Jackson decision overturned Roe v. Wade, thrusting parents into conversations with their children about one of the most controversial topics in American life: abortion. My daughter, then 10 years old and unfamiliar with the topic but exposed to the media frenzy, asked, 鈥淲hat is an abortion?鈥

When I was growing up, a question like this would have been deflected with, 鈥淚鈥檒l tell you when you鈥檙e older.鈥 But with the internet at nearly every child鈥檚 fingertips, vague answers won鈥檛 suffice anymore. Kids are curious, and if their parents don鈥檛 provide answers, a query to Alexa or a Google search will.

I explained the basics of pregnancy, which she already understood, and described abortion as a medical procedure that ends a pregnancy. We discussed the spectrum of beliefs on when, if ever, abortion is acceptable, and compared the laws in our home state of New York with those in Mississippi, where abortion access has been severely restricted. This led to a discussion of federalism, which I broke down in terms she could grasp: how states can set different laws based on local political opinions and lawmakers.

My goal wasn鈥檛 to push my own views, but to give her the tools to think critically about the issue. Like so many other moments in parenting, this conversation wasn鈥檛 about giving her the 鈥渞ight鈥 answer 鈥 it was about guiding her to ask questions and take a broad look at things.

Talking about abortion, or any political topic, is daunting. But with at least , and with the presidential and vice presidential candidates being asked about the issue in multiple forums, kids will inevitably encounter these terms and concepts.

In today鈥檚 polarized climate, parents often feel ill-equipped to navigate these weighty subjects with their children, so . But these discussions are too important to avoid. The responsibility of raising informed, engaged citizens falls on the family. 

Parents shape how their children perceive politics. While schools might cover civics basics, conversations at home are where kids truly start to understand and navigate the wider world around them. It鈥檚 where they learn that politics isn鈥檛 just something shown on TV or happening in Washington, D.C. 鈥 it affects their lives and futures. And parents get only four 鈥 or fewer 鈥 presidential elections to focus on how high-stakes political discussions ought to look before their kids reach voting age.

Here are three strategies for making political discussions with kids more meaningful during election season:

First, recognize your role. Children look to their parents to make sense of the world, politics included. Families are their first teachers 鈥 not because they have all the answers, but because they can model the importance of coming together to explore questions about government and politics. If kids see their parents avoiding political topics because they鈥檙e uncomfortable, they鈥檒l likely shy away from them too. But by approaching these subjects with curiosity, children will learn to question, debate and seek out different perspectives. These skills will serve them not only in their civic engagement, but in all areas of life. 

Second, restrain your negativity. It鈥檚 easy for parents, or anyone, to slip into negativity, especially when discussing politicians they don鈥檛 like. But constantly disparaging politics or government can shrink children鈥檚 desire to engage with civic life. If all they hear is how broken the system is, why get involved? Instead, model productive political discourse 鈥 teaching them to disagree respectfully and value different perspectives.

Third, humanize government. Don鈥檛 let politics become an abstract thing: Introduce your kids to the people who represent them, whether it鈥檚 by attending a local event or writing a letter to an elected official. Show them that politicians are accessible and that their work has a direct impact on their constituents’ lives. These interactions help kids see government not as a distant, faceless entity, but as real people working (or sometimes failing) to solve problems. 

It is the job of parents to help kids understand politics is part of life. Navigating these conversations is necessary for raising children prepared to shape a better political climate. So, when your child asks, 鈥淲hat is an abortion?鈥 or 鈥淲hy are you voting?鈥 鈥 don鈥檛 brush it off. Don鈥檛 assume they鈥檙e too young. Welcome the conversation. It might be challenging, but it鈥檚 a necessary step in raising the next generation of engaged citizens. They are the ones who will inherit American democracy; make sure they鈥檙e prepared to lead it toward a brighter future.

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